MOSCOW (Sputnik) -The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, commented on the appointment of a new US special envoy for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline issues, saying that Moscow is not closing the door for dialogue but will only take real steps into account. “We still judge by practical steps taken … There were many nominations, there were many declarations, there were many intentions, which, unfortunately, did not go anywhere beyond words. Therefore, we will judge by the practical steps of the US side. We maintain contacts, we never closed the door for dialogue … We do respond to those unfriendly steps that the United States is taking against our country, but at the same time we always constructively respond to constructive steps. Therefore, we will proceed from reality,” Zakharova told Soloviev.Life YouTube show. Earlier this week, Axios reported, citing sources, that US President Joe Biden appointed his former close adviser, Amos Hochstein, as the State Department energy envoy charged with implementing the US-German agreement on the Nord Stream 2. In July, Germany and the US struck a deal that implies the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline without the threat of American sanctions. Among the conditions stipulated in the deal, Germany vowed to prevent Russia from “using energy as a weapon” and to use all possible leverage to prolong Russian gas transit through Ukraine. The Nord Stream 2 project involves the construction of a 745-mile-long offshore twin pipeline, which will supply up to 1.9 trillion cubic feet of gas per year from Russia to Germany.
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